Burr-Brown DAC, HDCD decoding

Occaisional mechanical noise

About 17 years ago I sold Harman/Kardon gear at a high end stereo store in Pullman, Washington. I was always very impressed with the cassette decks and receivers/amplifiers (in fact, I still own my HK-300 cassette deck). CD was new and, as a high end store, we kind of frowned on it.

Obviously things have changed. For starters, Harman/Kardon is not quite the same company that it used to be. Now it's part of a corporate giant. Also, CD players have evolved a LONG way from the really terrible sounding first generation.

I really agonized over what to do for a CD player for my system. I feel like I have fairly high end gear, with Carver electronics and Acoustat 1+1 speakers, so I headed down to my local high end audio store and listened to several fairly expensive CD players and CD separate systems. What I heard was very nice, but I was really taken aback by the price. I saw the FL8380 on Onecall's web site and decided that I'd take a chance for the price.

Does it sound as good as the high end gear? No. Does it sound bad? No. In fact, it sounds quite nice. I'd say that the extra $300 that I would have spent to buy one of the "inexpensive" high end players would have gained me only an incremental increase in performance.

I'm pleased with the unit's decoding of HDCD discs. There is definitely an audible advantage to the format. It also seems to perform quite well with non-HDCD discs, which I assume is because the Burr-Brown DACs (while not the company's top of the line) work better than those of cheaper players.

Cosmetically, the 8380 looks very nice. The remote is functional, but not exceptional. The display conveys plenty of information. The unit also has a coaxial digital output.

I've noticed that occaisionally I hear a high-pitched whirring noise while playing a CD. It's definitely mechanical, but as time goes by, it happens less often. I'm going to assume that it's just a byproduct of breaking in the player.

All in all, the 8380 performs well for the money. It's not an audiophile piece of gear, but I think that for the money, it delivers excellent sound and convenience.

Associated equipment:
Carver C3 Preamp
Carver TX8R Tuner
Harman/Kardon HK300 Cassette Deck
(2) Carver TFM-15CB amplifiers
Acoustat 1+1 speakers
Transparent Audio cables

Similar Products Used:

Many different single and multiple CD players

sound,looks, build quaity

see review

I felt I should post a review of this product since I have been using it for the past week. I have owned a H/K FL8550 for the past 2 years and had to put it in the shop because the tray was not stopping on the correct disc most of the time. I tried a Denon dcm 370 and did not care for it.
I have talked to alot of dealers who say H/K quality control problems are worked out. I will let consumers be the judge. This player sound terrific, smooth, punchy and detailed, more so then the dcm370. The build quality seems to be better then previous models, the tray does not budge when you load a disc. This suggests to me that the transport is pretty good. I think the remote is fine. Well spaced easy to operate buttons, the only thing it doesn't have is an open button. But it does have an an "on,off" switch. 5 stars for value because it this price you wil not find a better sounding player, in my opinion. 4 stars overall because there is the rotel and the cal audio labs changer that do sound better, I just can't afford either.

Similar Products Used:

Denon dcm 370

HDCD, good detail for the price, good remote

quirky operation, noisy tray, minor complaints

My single disc player, AMC cd8b, developed a loud hum in the right channel. So I went shopping for an inexpensive player until the AMC is fixed. I will use it eventually with a second system I'm putting together. I listened to a few players and found the H. K. the best for the price. I also like the HDCD decoding feature. I have sveral HDCDs and they sound very good through this player. This is especially true with Eric Clapton's new CD, Reptile. Very well recorded. I would highly recommend this CD for auditioning any audio component. I am very happy the performance of the player considering its low price. One complaint I have is a minor quirk in its operation. Every time you turn it on it rotates the tray through all five disc positions before you can open the tray. Then when you put a disc in and close the tray, it again rotates through the five positions before you can play a disc. This is a minor thing but it is annoying. Maybe I'm just used to a single disc player. I would recommend this player for those on a budget. You get alot for the money.
My two channel system:
NAD C160 pre-amp
2 AudioSource amp 3s, bridged
Denon TU1500 tuner
Paradigm Studio 100v2 speakers
Straightwire Chorus II and Symphony II interconnects
MIT terminator 2, bi-wire, speaker cables

Similar Products Used:

AMC cd8b